Race organizers revealed details of the inaugural Tour of Scandinavia at a press event held this week at Copenhagen City Hall.

Originally scheduled to take place in 2020 and 2021, but postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first ever Tour of Scandinavia will start in Copenhagen on August 9. From there, riders will tackle six stages through Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, finishing 958 km later in Halden, Norway.

Uno-X will deepen its relationship with cycling, becoming the general sponsor of the 2022 and 2023 Tour of Scandinavia.

"It's a unique race concept that brings together the culture, tourism, nature, and local atmosphere of the three countries in one big package of races and experiences," said race director Roy Moberg.

"Our key values are sustainability, equity, quality, local commitment, volunteerism, and destination marketing. When we discussed how we would build and develop this race step by step, we tried to put all of these values on the table"

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The race is an expansion of the Ladies Tour of Norway, which was won last year by Annemiek van Fruten (Movistar Team). Four of the six stages will take place in Norway, including the summit finish on Norefjell in stage 5.

"The experience and know-how we have already gained from the Ladies Tour of Norway, combined with the know-how of the Danish Cycling Federation, gives us the tailwind we need to develop the best women's World Tour race in Scandinavia," said Danish Cycling Federation President Henrik Jess Jensen said. [The opening stage in Copenhagen on Tuesday, August 9, will be the first time a Women's World Tour race will be held in Denmark, a 145-km race that starts at the famous Kongens Nytorv square in the Danish capital and ends with three laps in Helsingør. The race then moves to the Swedish coast for the second stage, where the peloton will travel 153.4 km from Ørst to Strömstad, taking in seaside recreation areas.

On August 11, the race enters more familiar territory with the third stage, which will take the ladies Tour of Norway through a frequently visited landscape: the 118.8 km stage will start in Moss, with three laps to Sarpsborg before a final sprint in front of City Hall.

The 127.7 km fourth stage from Askim to Meissen has some hills as the riders move into the Norwegian interior, the Indre Ostfold municipality, an area described by Mayor Saxe Frøshaug as "the Norwegian version of Tuscany."

Then on Saturday, August 13, the 132.9 km queen stage from Vikersund to Norefjell will take place. The race will start with a two-lap circuit, heading to the lakes of Sonnerlen and Kruderen. Departing from the lakeside, the peloton heads up the final 10 km climb, where in 2021 Annemiek van Fruten took the stage win in the Ladies Tour of Norway to consolidate her lead in the overall standings.

The 153.4 km final day starts in Lillestrøm and concludes in Halden.

Race organizers have also promised to provide two hours of live coverage each day, both nationally and internationally. The event's predecessor, the Ladies Tour of Norway, attracted 10 million viewers internationally.